


Back At The Beginning

by castiels_feather



Series: Denver isn't Philly [4]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 12:18:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5127344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castiels_feather/pseuds/castiels_feather
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny's return home to Philly is a happy one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back At The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> I would like to thank [Cole](http://femmederobespierre.tumblr.com/html/) for always giving me ideas when I'm stuck, correcting my grammar, being patient with me, and being the best beta I could wish for.
> 
> In this story, I reference [this picture of Claude](http://bloody-mary-23.tumblr.com/post/129732868590/girouxtiful-kill-me-right-now-please-i-am), [this video](https://youtu.be/68ghJypBc_s?t=311) from Danny and Claude's time in Berlin during the lockout and my previously posted stories.
> 
> This is the last part of this series so I hope you enjoy it! :)
> 
> (Also, this is my first ever smut. Mom, don't look.)

The packing was less messy than Danny had expected. He was leaving a lot of stuff behind, after all. The kind that wasn’t necessary to move, such as dishes, sheets, bed… God, his bed. He wanted to be back home already. The last two years felt like a long trip. Only moving with what you can’t replace (like pictures of your children or an old, worn-out Flyers t-shirt with #28 on the back) and not really knowing how long you’re staying this time. He knew from the beginning of this lonely adventure that he’d be coming home eventually but he prayed that it was soon. This chapter was coming to its end and he was more than ready to start a new one.  
  
The few boxes containing his belongings were neatly stacked on top of one another, waiting to be taken away by the movers. A ringing phone interrupted his going through a short list of items that were still left to be packed. Flashing on his phone’s screen was a picture of a young man holding a huge trout and grinning proudly.  
  
“Hey, Dutchy!”  
  
“Hey, Danny! Miss me already?” Matt was obviously in a good mood.  
  
“To tell you the truth, I haven’t had the time to think about stuff like that yet,” Danny answered honestly. The last few days were a whirlwind of phone calls, packing and trying to figure out what to do next.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, you’re saying that now,” Matt teased. “That’s not why I’m calling. I wanted to make sure our fishing trip is still on.”  
  
“I’m counting on it! Do I get a plus one?” Danny joked.  
  
“Absolutely! Take the kids, too, eh?”  
  
“Great idea! They’ll love a trip like that,” Danny smiled at the idea because some time off with his boys was on the top of his to-do list.  
  
“Anyways, have a nice flight and best of luck, Danny,” Matt sounded more serious now but in a sincere, affectionate way.  
  
“Thanks, Matty. I’ll see you around when you guys come to play in Philly.” Matt was one of the closest friends Danny made on the team and he was just a delight to be around. What a great kid. Skilled as hell, too, and Danny often used his veteran leverage to remind Matt of this.  
  
“Sure! See ya!”

* * *

Waiting at the airport got boring quickly so Danny dug out his phone and went through dozens of notifications on all sorts of apps in search of any and every piece of Flyers news. At one point things got so bad in Colorado that he had to turn all of those off as a means of fighting fits of sadness and feeling homesick like a kid in a summer camp. But those days were gone and his blood was turning back orange. As he was browsing through photos from the Flyers’ meet & greet with fans, one picture in particular caught his attention. In it, there was Claude wearing a casual Flyers t-shirt, holding a baby (which… goodness!) and Danny would swear he was glowing he looked so good. He also had his fake tooth in, flashing his irresistible, charming smile at the camera shamelessly. Danny tried to remember when was the last time he saw him with all of his teeth and jeez, was it Germany?

_“Danny, who are you texting? Who do you know from Germany?”_  
  
_They were sitting in the back seat and Claude was looking at Danny through the screen of a video camera. It was the Flyers management’s idea for them to document their arrival and settling in but Claude decided to have some fun with it. He was smiling sheepishly because he was on an adventure with his boyfriend and what would’ve been a lonely and initially scary experience were he alone, suddenly turned into an exciting trip. When they found out the Eisbären had made offers to both of them, it almost sounded too good to be true. Saying yes was a no-brainer._  
  
_“Jimmy Sharrow right now. And TJ Mulock. Yep.” It only made sense to contact fellow countrymen on Eisbären’s roster._  
  
_“They a bunch of beauties?” he asked with a flirtatious grin._  
  
_“We’ll find out soon!” They both burst into a giggle fit because that was such a stupid, pointless question but they couldn’t care less, really. This new environment was refreshing, they could go wherever and the chances somebody would recognize the were very slim. Okay, focus, Claude! What would the fans want to know?_  
  
_“Uh, how do you like Germany since we got here?”_  
  
_Danny stopped typing the unfinished text and looked up from the screen of his phone and with a blissed expression he honestly answered;_  
  
_“It’s wonderful so far. Great start, good practice-”_  
  
_“-Did you work hard?” Claude teased, looking at Danny now instead of the camera’s screen, smiling provocatively. “Did you win or lose?”_  
  
_“I worked hard but I don’t think it was very good,” Danny tried to be honest in his assessment. They did skating drills, practiced passing and 2-on-1’s. It’s tough to be on your best when you’re playing with guys you’ve never seen but Danny was excited for the next practice and for the progress they’ll surely make._  
  
_Claude refused to let him get away this easy, though._  
  
_“But did your team win? Or did the young guys-”_  
  
_“-The old guys won!” Danny interrupted but that smirk on his face was a clear sign of him lying through his teeth._  
  
_“No, no, Danny!” Claude giggled, “don’t be lying!” And then they both fell into a giggling fit because they were actually 13 years old (combined). It would be embarrassing if it weren’t so adorable how simply happy they were._  
  
_“What are you gonna do now?” ‘Go to the hotel and bang you senseless.’ “Where are you going?”_  
  
_Danny looked into the camera to remind himself that everything he says is being recorded. “Big press conference,” he answered carefully, even though that was the last thing on his mind. And Claude’s slight hesitation betrayed that he was having trouble staying focused as well._  
  
_“Are you, uh, gonna speak German?”_  
  
_“Yeah,” Danny flashed a smile, “Ich liebe dich!” He parroted the phrase they previously jokingly practiced. And they burst out laughing again._

Danny’s musing was interrupted by an announcement about his flight to Philly. Time to go home.

* * *

Danny got out of the cab and there it was. His house, exactly the way he remembered it. Like he had only been gone for a weirdly long month. He breathed in the air and was pleased to notice that familiar smoggish smell that was nowhere to be found in Denver.  
  
He opened the door because -- it was already unlocked? Danny carefully stepped into the hallway and before he even kicked off his shoes, he heard steps from the stairwell. Wait, who still had the key?  
  
“Salut,” Claude said quietly. And for a few seconds they just stared at each other.  
  
‘Salut, my ass,’ Danny thought as he unceremoniously dropped his bag and keys and made three quick, purposeful steps. Without bothering to actually answer, he crashed his lips to Claude’s, figuring that was enough of an answer, and indeed, this was a language Claude spoke. All hesitance was gone never to be seen again as Claude wrapped his arm around Danny’s neck to keep him as close as possible, a weirdly possessive gesture that seemed perfectly appropriate at the moment. And Danny kissed him the way people drink a glass of water after going for a run on a hot summer day. And boy, was it a long-ass summer.  
  
“Mm-” Claude wanted to say something but there’s simply a limited amount of sounds you can make with someone else’s tongue in your mouth. Danny wasn’t willing to stop with the kissing just yet so he moved onto Claude’s neck. “I - Jesus…” Claude said in between ragged breaths. “Let’s at least go upstairs?”  
  
Kissing against the wall every few feet, they finally made it to the bedroom after a while. They undressed incredibly quickly, as if the clothes were burning on their skin. Danny quickly glanced at Claude’s obvious excitement.  
  
“I’m happy to see you, too,” he chirped.  
  
“Shut up,” Claude retorted and to emphasize his point he practically threw Danny on the bed. This only made Danny laugh. But Claude’s off-ice skills included giving superb blowjobs to his boyfriend so when he swallowed all of Danny’s length and licked it on the way back up, Danny’s breath hitched in his throat.  
  
“Christ…” If he could look away, he would throw his head back and squeeze his eyes shut but he couldn’t so he didn’t. Struck with a sudden urge to hold onto something real tight, he did what he always did with Claude; he grabbed the hand Claude currently wasn’t using to stroke him and intertwined their fingers. Danny’s skin wasn’t tanned but in contrast with Claude’s paper white flesh, it looked sun-kissed. It was all overwhelming, even the slightest touch felt electrifying and at times, Danny had to bite his lip to keep at least reasonably quiet.  
  
Despite having all the time in the world now, they were in a hurry because some things just cannot bear further delay. Claude tightened his grip on Danny’s erection and did that little trick with his tongue that sent Danny over the edge. As it always did. Danny’s whole body went stiff and then relaxed and he was suddenly really glad he wasn’t standing because he wasn’t sure his legs could support his weight right now. Probably not. He ran his palm across his face.  
  
“Jeez,” he exhaled.  
  
Claude was on all fours, hovering above Danny and giving him a close-mouthed smirk. And because Danny _knew_ , he pulled Claude down by the back of his neck for a deep kiss and the taste of whatever Claude didn’t swallow. Without breaking the kiss, Danny flipped them over and by gently caressing the sides of Claude’s face, he pushed the sweat-dampened curls off his temples.  
  
“My turn,” he said, pressing a light peck on Claude's lips. And as he began planting kisses lower and lower on Claude’s torso, Claude had a sudden flashback to their first time together because this was exactly how it happened and this was exactly how exciting it felt. He would have probably thought about it some more weren’t his blood being redirected into parts of his body that weren’t his brain.  
  
“Oh boy,” Claude muttered as if he was bracing himself for whatever would follow.  
  
Lust with a dash of competitiveness was not the only thing that fueled Danny’s efforts. He was determined to show Claude just how happy he was to be with him again. He pressed a light kiss on the tip of Claude’s dick and then licked around the head until Claude squirmed. After that Danny kept mercilessly taking it in deeper and deeper and when Claude began uncontrollably moaning French profanities, only then he decided to end his partner’s suffering and let him come. Claude felt a familiar shiver run up his spine and then ebb away into every inch of his body.  
  
With both still panting hard, Danny flung himself on the bed next to Claude and they looked at each other as they laughed and tried to catch their breath.  
  
“Wow,” Claude said, staring at the ceiling.  
  
“You’re welcome,” Danny said smugly.  
  
“Fuck, I missed this…”  
  
“C’mere.” Danny put his arm on the pillow above Claude’s head to make room for him. Claude rolled over to his side and scooted closer to Danny who simply closed his arm around him. They lay like that for a while, Claude’s head on Danny’s shoulder, waiting for their heart rates to go back to normal.  
  
“Danny?”  
  
“Mm-hm?” Danny answered without opening his eyes.  
  
“Please don’t go away ever again.” Claude failed to hide the urgency in his request.  
  
Danny just tugged him closer, pressed a soft kiss in his hair and quietly but firmly said;  
  
“I won’t. Promise.” After a short silence he decided to deal with the elephant in the room. “So… What now?”  
  
“I’m thinking round 2 and then some grilled cheese?”  
  
Danny laughed despite himself. “Jerk. You know what I mean.”  
  
“No, seriously, I went grocery shopping. It’s all-” Danny teasingly smacked Claude on the head to which Claude just giggled. “I don’t know, Danny. You know me, I don’t plan these things. I just go with the flow, it’s worked pretty well for me so far,” Claude contemplated, serious.  
  
“Yeah, let’s take it one day at a time,” Danny said with a smile. The smile that screamed ‘I love this nerd’, the smile that almost got him in trouble about a thousand times because he was unable to hide that smile whenever he looked at Claude. This was home - not just Philly and his house but this feeling. Claude. “So when are you moving your stuff back in here?” he asked, weaving his fingers through Claude’s soft ginger waves.  
  
“Umm, the boxes in the hallway?” Claude said as he craned his neck to kiss Danny’s jaw.  
  
“...Yes?”  
  
“All mine. I’m way ahead of you,” Claude was full on cheesin’ now.  
  
“Unbelievable,” Danny shook his head. “I love you so much, do you know that?”  
  
Claude had always been worried that when he would finally say those words for the first time in his life, it would be awkward. It wasn’t.  
  
“I know. And I love you, Danny.” It was as easy as breathing.  
  
“Wanna get started on those boxes?” Danny offered but Claude just smirked.  
  
“Nuh-uh. Round 2 first.”

FIN

* * *

CODA:

Danny could feel the jitters as the beginning of the ceremony drew near. He wasn’t worried about organizational details, he knew everything was set and ready but he was mentally preparing himself for a spotlight being pointed at him while over eighteen thousand people watch his every move and listen to his every word. What gave him confidence was the fact when the whole arena applauds you, just you, it feels like being hugged by the whole fanbase. And if Flyers fans are good at something, it’s letting you know they like you.  
  
“After tonight, you’ll be officially an old man.” Claude stepped out of the locker room where the rest of the guys were finishing putting their gear on.  
  
“I prefer ‘experienced’,” Danny said with a feigned pensiveness, stressing the word slightly to give it that inuendo tinge.  
  
“That... you most definitely are,” Claude laughed, a bit surprised. He did not expect that but he appreciated it because it was a sign of Danny being more or less relaxed and in a good mood.  
  
“I might be an old man but I’m a happy old man,” Danny said, now serious, watching his three boys chatting with Coots and the Schenn brothers. He looked back at Claude; “It means a lot to me that you’re here with me and my boys. There’s no one else I’d want to be out there with me.”  
  
“Good,” Claude said contentedly. “See you on the ice?” This was how they said goodbye in Denver before their last game against each other but this time it was somehow devoid of the wistful undertone.  
  
“See you there.”  
  
It still felt strange seeing the boys take the ice for warmups and knowing he'll never join them again but you know what? If this is to be 'just another day at the office' for him for years to come, he'll take it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for sticking with me till the end! I will love you forever if you leave a comment :') 
> 
> And if any of you ever feel the need to cry at me about these two, come find me on [tumblr](https://bloody-mary-23.tumblr.com/html/).


End file.
